A Sister's Sacrifice
by Aseku
Summary: Vegeta is haunted by memories of his childhood and the various horrors he experienced. With visions and memories of his elder sister plaguing his dreams, Vegeta tries to clear his head. But when he is confronted with a past enemy, he is forced into action
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any other the characters from it. I do, however, own my own personal ideas and my own characters. Please ask before you use them.

Author's Note: There is some sexual innuendo in the beginning of this story. I do NOT support writing anything that actually describes sex acts. That is smut, and I don't write it. Still, this story is NOT intended for children. It is rated M for a reason, and if you are not of an appropriate age, you read this story against my wishes. Also, before I even start, I would like to point out that while I support gay relationships, I do not generally write about them. This will not, at any point, turn into a Goku x Vegeta fic. Any evidence you might twist to the contrary is simply not what you think it is. Don't misconstrue my writing! Ok, I've bored you enough. Read the story!

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"Boy!" Vegeta looked up from his bed, where he had been sleeping. It was late, he was tired, what the hell was this about?! The door to his small room slid open to reveal a drunken Talra, one of Freiza's top generals. The big man was 6 feet and 250 pounds of pure muscle, and right now that muscle was intoxicated and in the mood to play with its favorite little toy. Vegeta backed away as Talra staggered into his room, his breath reeking of his favorite liquor. This was bad. Vegeta was as strong as any 7 year old Saiyan could be, but he was really no match for a full-grown, fully-trained warrior. He slipped beneath one of Talra's outstretched arms, making for the door, but the big man's bulk was there, blocking him. Vegeta began to panic, backing towards a wall as Talra advanced. He could almost feel the man's hands on him, groping at his small, toned body as he struggled to free himself.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!" The shout from behind Talra was like a voice from heaven, saving Vegeta from Talra's drunken meanderings. The hulk turned to face the owner of the voice, Vegeta's older sister Aspara. Despite her words, she was hardly the same size as Talra. Standing at 5' 4" and weighing no more than 110 pounds, the 15 year old was not an intimidating sight. She was scowling, her clenched fists held in a guard position before her face and her lean body tensed for attack. A grin spread across Talra's face as he lumbered toward the teenager, his arms outstretched. She dodged him nimbly, ducking back out into the hall. Talra followed her, stumbling into the hallway and hitting a wall. Aspara glanced back in at Vegeta, her eyes scanning him quickly to make sure he was ok before turning her attention back to the drunken man wandering towards her.

"Vegeta, get back to sleep. You need to train tomorrow, bright and early. I'll take care of General Talra." Vegeta opened his mouth to speak to his sister. To thank her, to stop her, anything! But she shut his door with a tap at the touch pad outside his room. Vegeta stared at the steel that slid out and blocked his view of where his sister had just been. He could still hear her outside, enticing Talra to follow her, saving her little brother from a night of horror… sacrificing herself to keep him safe. He sank down where he stood, pulling his knees into his chest and schooling himself not to cry. _"__Crying never helps anything, __Vegeta__, you hear me? Stay strong. You are a prince!__ Don't let '__em __see__ you break down."_ A tear dropped from Vegeta's eye, despite his best efforts to hold it in. A sob hitched his breathing, and before he knew it, he had begun to cry. As long as no one saw… it was ok. As long as no one saw…

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_As long as no one saw_… Vegeta looked up as the bathroom door rattled, Bulma's voice sounding from the other side.

"Vegeta? Are you ok? You've been in there for a while, are you sick?" Her voice held concern, wondering what was wrong with her husband. He almost never got sick; he was so strong… But he had been acting oddly recently, disappearing for long training sessions in the gravity room, not emerging until late, not even for meals.

Locked within the bathroom, Vegeta hurriedly dried his tears and calmed his breathing. When he was sufficiently composed, he unlocked the door and emerged from his sanctuary. Bulma was staring at him, her features at once curious and concerned. He pretended not to notice, walking past her towards the king-sized bed they shared. Sleep, that blessed oblivion he escaped to every night, was what he sought. Only in that blissful state of unconsciousness could he run from his haunting memories, but they had been growing worse lately. Now they plagued his dreams, interrupting his night and keeping him from the rest he needed. His sister wandered in and out of his nightmares, her haunted screams echoing in his ears when he woke.

He had never told Bulma about his sister. He had never felt the need to bring up those painful memories and tell his wife of the sibling she would never meet. But it felt like a betrayal of Aspara's sacrifice not to tell her. She had surrendered herself night after night, day after day, to keep him safe. And what was he doing to her? Denying those memories was like denying her existence. How shameful. How thankless of him to lock away those memories for his own comfort and happiness.

Vegeta could not live like this, but he didn't know how to stop it. He wished that he could forget about Aspara, and hated himself for his selfish wish. She had sacrificed everything for him; her time, her training, her freedom… everything. But how she haunted him… It was maddening! And the looks he got from Bulma and Trunks… Even his young son knew, understood that something was wrong with daddy, and he copied his mother's pitying gaze. Perhaps he did not understand what he was doing, but Vegeta couldn't stand the pity. He had to get away.

Vegeta blinked, grabbing hold of the thought that had just flitted across his mind. He had to get away. It was so simple, why hadn't he seen it before? The answer to his solution was staring him in the face. Just get away! He needed time away from the pitying looks and the prying stares at his back. He needed time to clear his head and just train. Perhaps a trip to the mountains to live in seclusion for a while and gather his thoughts. Or perhaps… Grabbing his phone, Vegeta dialed a number almost without thinking and pushed send before he could stop himself. Yes it was rude to call people at 3 am, but he was certain this particular person wouldn't begrudge him a few moments of time.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was groggy and sounded as though its owner wasn't quite awake.

"Kakarot?"

"Vegeta?"

"Of course, fool, who else would it be?"

"Um… no one on accounta no one else calls me that name." The voice wasn't so groggy now. Kakarot apparently woke quickly. "It's 3 in the morning…"

"I'm aware of that." Vegeta didn't quite know what to say. How could he phrase this request without leading to awkward questions?

"Um… what's up?"

"I need a… Uh… How would you feel about… Ah… Do you want to train with me?" Vegeta was not used to stumbling over his words, and he was all too aware of Bulma's eyes on his back, burning with her unasked questions.

"Right now?" Kakarot's voice sounded shocked.

"No, fool, not right now. Tomorrow… for a couple of weeks. I wanted to go away, get to somewhere more natural, like the forest or the mountains or something. Look, do you want to come or not?" The last words were harsh, gruff, back to Vegeta's normal tone of voice. There was a pause on the other end as Kakarot thought that over.

"Um… yeah, sounds like fun! I have to ask Chi-Chi, of course. Ooo, can I bring marshmallows?" Vegeta felt his face sink into a frown.

"This isn't for recreation, Kakarot, I intend to do serious training!"

"Yeah, but you NEED marshmallows if you're camping. It's, like, a rule."

"FINE! Bring your damn marshmallows, I don't care! Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll go!"

"Fine. I'll call you tomorrow." Vegeta started to hang up the phone, but stopped as he heard Kakarot's voice sound from the other end.

"Vegeta? Why did you have to call at 3 in the morning? Is everything ok?" Kakarot's tone was softer than usual, curious. Vegeta could practically feel his concern; he loathed that tone.

"Yes, Kakarot, everything is fine," Vegeta snapped. "Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep." And he hung up the phone. Bulma was behind him, waiting for an explanation, but he offered none, keeping his back to her as he laid down to sleep. She laid down on her side of the bed, snuggling up to his back and draping an arm around his broad shoulders.

"You going camping, Vegeta?" Her voice was soft in the gloom. He made no reply, merely shifted his pillow beneath his head. She patted his chest gently, somehow understanding. "I love you." Vegeta put a hand over hers, grasping the cool fingers lightly in his own.

"I love you too."

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Ok, that's it for chapter one! Reviews and criticism are appreciated; flames are not. This is a new genre for me, and I'm kinda putting my new style out there. If you liked it, let me know. If you didn't, let me know (but be kind!). If you have questions... let me know! I would be happy to answer any and all questions personally through email or in the next chapter if you don't want to leave me your email. But there will only be a next chapter if someone likes this one! I don't waste my time and effort on stories no one likes. Luv y'all bunches!

Aseku


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, sorry for the incredibly long wait between updates. I must admit I was hoping for a few more reviews, but I'll take what I can get! Those of you who have read it apparently liked it! Yay!! Those of you who read and did not review... you suck. Anyway, enjoy the newest chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything relating to it. I do own Aspara, please ask permission before using her.

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Morning dawned bright and obnoxious, pulling Vegeta from his very un-restful sleep. Bulma was snoring quietly beside him, her face untroubled in sleep, her head resting peacefully on his chest. Vegeta sighed, allowing his head to drop back to the pillow. He didn't want to wake Bulma, and if he moved her head from his chest, he would. Resigning himself to wait, Vegeta took advantage of the thinking time and considered his hasty actions the night (morning?) before.

Getting away to train… that had been floating around his head for quite a while now. But calling Kakarot… that had been sudden, impulsive; a mistake, perhaps. He could call him right now and tell him he preferred to go alone, even that he had decided NOT to go. But no… he couldn't lie to him. Vegeta strongly disapproved of lying and tried to avoid it when he could; a sentiment that had been instilled in him by his sister.

"_To be a good King you need to be a good leader, and that means being honest. Contrary to what anyone else may tell you, your subjects aren't dumb, and they don't appreciate being lied to. Remember, Vegeta, do your best not to lie to anyone. Lying is for lower people. You're better than that."_ Better than that… Vegeta sighed. Aspara had been grooming him to be King; to take the throne that was hers by birthright, the throne she knew she would never take.

Bulma shifted beside him, beginning to wake. As her eyes fluttered open, she glanced up at Vegeta. He met her gaze almost defiantly, daring her to ask questions about the night before. Well, Bulma never had been one to refuse a challenge…

"So why are you going camping all of the sudden?" Vegeta considered that question for a moment.

"I… need to clear my head away from the city. Too much civilization can grind on my nerves." Bulma arched a brow, clearly not believing the reason he had supplied.

"Uh-huh. Well then, let's all go. I think Trunks and I would enjoy the wilderness as much as you would." Vegeta sat up, forcing Bulma to do the same as her "pillow" shifted beneath her.

"No, I think not. I intend to do some heavy training; something neither you nor Trunks are able to do. This is not simply for recreation." Bulma seemed ready to carry on the argument, but paused suddenly, her eyes simply roaming her husband's face. Her expression softened.

"What's going on, Vegeta? You've been acting so strangely lately… Trunks and I are worried about you." Vegeta shook his head, not meeting Bulma's eyes. He was terrible at lying, and it showed in his eyes.

"Nothing's going on, I'm fine." The lie turned his stomach, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell Bulma about Aspara. That would lead to a lot of conversations he simply wasn't prepared to deal with right now. "I'm only going to be gone for a few weeks at most. If you need me, I can get back quickly."

"How quickly?" asked Bulma. Clearly she did not like the idea of being left home alone. "And what's this training about? You haven't heard of another threat or anything, have you?" Vegeta shook his head.

"No, I already told you, I'm just going to clear my head and get away from the city for a while. And since I'll have Kakarot with me, I'll be able to get back instantly with his Instant Transmission technique." He pulled his wife in for a hug, sensing how upset she was. Bulma really hated being left in the dark, and she hated being left alone even more. "It won't be for too long. You'll be fine; Trunks will be here with you. I'll leave you a copy of his daily training schedule; just make sure that he follows it and he'll be fine too. Maybe even call Goten over here to train with him. They make good sparring partners, they're fairly evenly matched. You could even-" But Bulma cut him off, speaking over him.

"Vegeta!" He paused, looking up at her. "I know how to take care of the house, ok? And I certainly know how to take care of our son. You go and relax, we'll be alright." Vegeta offered her a rare smile, laying a hand on her shoulder briefly before rising and heading for the bathroom to get a shower. Bulma watched him go, then got out of bed herself and went downstairs to make breakfast. When she had two Saiyan-sized hungers to sate, she had a lot of cooking to do.

Several hours later found Vegeta flying towards the Son residence, a handful of capsules in his pocket and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in his hand. He had been overtaken by another memory in the shower and spent more than two hours in it, trying to escape from his sister's muffled screams. Some of the memories were so vivid, it was like he was reliving them! Bulma seemed to have accepted that Vegeta did not want to talk about what was going on, although he was sure she did not believe that it was nothing, so he had been spared the awkward questions when he finally emerged. Instead, a tray of capsules had been laid out on his bed labeled as his clothes, his toiletries, his housing, and his food. There had also been an unlabelled one, but Bulma had been tight-lipped about it, simply saying that he needed to take it with him. Vegeta would open it up once he was in the wilderness, he had decided, and find out what it was.

Touching down gently on the front lawn of Kakarot's house, Vegeta strode to the front door and rapped on it three times. A flurry of noise sounded from within, and it was several minutes before Chi-Chi appeared at the door, looking somewhat frazzled.

"Oh, hi Vegeta," she said, distractedly. Vegeta heard a crash from inside the house. "GOTEN, PUT THAT DOWN! C'mon in, we're just finishing up breakfast."

"Ah, no thank you, I'll just-" Another loud crash cut Vegeta off in midsentence and Chi-Chi stormed off to see what had been broken, leaving Vegeta standing in front of an open door. He hesitated, then stepped cautiously inside.

Pandemonium reigned within Kakarot's house, it seemed. He and his two sons, Gohan and Goten, were sitting at the breakfast table, which was laden with a pile of food. Kakarot and Gohan were eating happily, their plates mounded with pancakes, sausages, and eggs, but Goten was sitting sulkily at his place, apparently having just been reprimanded. But, even as Vegeta watched, the boy began eating ravenously once more and soon a happy grin was plastered across his face. Just then, Kakarot looked up and caught sight of Vegeta.

"Oh, hi Veggie!" he called, spraying his elder son with bits of food. Gohan wiped himself off disgustedly and continued eating, checking his watch every so often. "We're eating breakfast, want some?" Vegeta held up his own breakfast sandwich with a shake of his head.

"No, Bulma made me breakfast. Are you ready to go?" Kakarot nodded, shoving the last remnants of food on his plate into his over-stuffed mouth and standing. Chi-Chi came bustling over with a frying pan of eggs in her hand.

"When I talked to Bulma this morning she said that the tent she'd given you was big enough for you and Goku, is that right?" Vegeta nodded, accepting that message without question. Knowing Bulma, it was much more than a tent and more than big enough for two people. She knew that Vegeta liked his space. "Alright, then." Chi-Chi turned and handed Kakarot a handful of capsules. "The purple one is your food, the orange one is your clothes, and the red one is everything else, got it?" Kakarot nodded, swallowing his food.

"Yep, got it, Chi-Chi!" He bent to pull his wife into a tight hug and give her a kiss. "I'll be careful, don't worry about me. Besides, Vegeta will be there!" Vegeta frowned, shifting awkwardly. This family was so… affectionate.

"Boys!" called Chi-Chi, "Come say goodbye to your father!" Gohan and Goten rose from the table and came over, Goten leaping into his father's arms before his brother had a chance to react.

"You won't be gone long, will you Daddy?" Kakarot shook his head, grinning as he hugged his son.

"Nope, not too long! You train hard while I'm gone and I'll test you when we get back to see how strong you've gotten!" Vegeta nodded to himself in approval. At least Kakarot was going to test the boy when he returned. After all, if the child had no goals and no consequences for failure, he would never learn.

After a brief embrace with Gohan, Kakarot was finally ready to leave. Soon he and Vegeta were soaring through the clouds, headed for a remote forest Vegeta liked to train in. It would be a good hour flying, but he didn't mind. Flying helped to clear his head, and for some reason, the company of Kakarot seemed to be keeping memories of his sister at bay. That, at least, was a blessed relief.

After some time of silent flying (Vegeta in the lead with Kakarot following slightly behind), Kakarot moved up to fly beside Vegeta.

"So… what's up? You sounded kinda upset on the phone last night. Then again, it was 3 in the morning…"

"Nothing is 'up', Kakarot, I just wanted to do some training," snapped Vegeta, suddenly annoyed.

"Oh…" the disappointment in Kakarot's voice was obvious. Vegeta knew that the other man could tell he was lying. "Ok…"

"I've been having nightmares about my sister." It burst out of Vegeta before he could stop it; word vomit. Inwardly, he cringed. Kakarot stopped dead, floating in midair, his eyes fixed on Vegeta. With a sigh, Vegeta stopped as well. "What?"

"You have a sister?" Kakarot's face was blank with shock.

"I _had_ a sister, Kakarot. She's been dead for years."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" The fool man was in his face now, both concerned and somewhat upset. Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"You don't need to know every detail of my past. She's dead, she irrelevant now." A pang went through Vegeta even as he said that. His sister, irrelevant? Never.

"What are you talking about? Even though she's dead, she's still your sister. Why didn't you bring her back with the Dragon Balls?" Vegeta blinked. He had never thought of that… And yet… he almost didn't want to face her again; to see what had become of her after the years of abuse.

"I… don't really know. I suppose it just wasn't a good idea at the time; we needed the Dragon Balls for other things." Kakarot thought that over for a moment, then nodded his agreement.

"Well… that may have been true then, but we don't need them for anything right now! Let's go find them and bring her back!" Vegeta hesitated, unsure. Could he actually face his sister after all this time? Would she recognize him? Would she blame him? That last question burned in his mind. Would she blame him for all that had happened to her? "Vegeta…?" A moment more of indecision, then Vegeta gave a curt nod. With a whoop, Kakarot grabbed his arm and turned them back towards Capsule Corp. to get the Dragon Radar.

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Well? Love it? Hate it? No opinion? TELL ME!! Thanks again to my reviewers, keep 'em coming!

Aseku


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